Dear random citizen,

But you do know of me, don’t you? I’m the name that you’ve been whispering in the streets, a bit fearfully as if you’re afraid that you’ll suffer the same fate as me. You won’t. I’m the face that decorated the sides of buildings and fronts of newspapers for over fifty days, accompanied by the words, “REPORT TO GUARDS IMMEDIATELY IF SEEN”. Have you seen those drawings? Atrocious. My eyes are not set that wide apart. Even if you live in a well, you still should have heard the fairly loud commotion last night when they finally captured me. Do you live in a well? Try to find better housing accommodations, please.

Oh, last night. It was quite a mess, wasn’t it? Were you there to see it? I must admit, a part of me wishes that you were not. It was a bit embarrassing after all. Bloody. Explosions and magic. Never really my favorite. But it was still considerably entertaining, which does make me more inclined to wish that you had been there. I’ll send out some invitations next time.

Now, at this point, you may be wondering why you’ve gotten this letter. Don’t get too excited. There’s no big motive or secret that will turn your life around. You see, they’re going to chop off my head. Did you already hear of that too? I wonder if they announce those things nowadays. A hundred years ago, they kept it secret. Too barbaric, or something of the sort. The ladies would definitely disapprove of people getting killed in public, don’t you think? I don’t think they even know that people can bleed. My, they might even faint. Especially if it’s me getting killed. They did like me quite a bit, after all. I’ve always been a bit of a handsome one.

I digress. It seems that I’m allowed one letter before I die. Not two, just one. I know, barbaric. Even better: I don’t have any friends. So here I am, sitting in a dirty cell, writing a letter to you, random citizen. Don’t worry. This letter will not bring you any harm magically. Believe me, they’re looking over my shoulder right now to make sure. The guards smell terrible. I wonder if they ever shower?

I’m running out of space. Sorry. Certainly, feel free to come to my execution in two days. I might not even be there!

Have a magical day,

X

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Comments

This is very different to other things I’ve read which makes it interesting and I think you certainly pulled it off, so here are some general comments (I’m sorry but I can’t do grammar since I barely understand it myself);

1. The information and the context throughout the piece is sparse but effective. The reader can easily gather that this letter is being written by a prisoner in jail who is perceived as being dangerous for whatever reasons (I assume something to do with magic). However, with some information you are a little too vague, for example, at first I thought this was in a modern setting (the mention of newspapers might have done this) but as the letter went on it seemed to be more of a medieval setting. Shedding some extra light on this world the characters live in with perhaps a small nod in the letter of the characters arrest and the location it was in, could help build this world your characters live in and draw the reader more into the piece.

2. This feels unfinished. Not in the sense that you forgot to write an ending, but more like there’s more story to tell behind this. The writer of the letter sounds like a charismatic character who definitely won’t settle for an execution and is more than happy to make an escape. Also, I'm a little curious about the magic of this world and not a lot of description is given to what it exactly is.

Apart from these little issues (which aren't even issues because the piece is perfectly fine without addressing them) your writing was genuinely funny and I'll certainly have to take a look at anything else you write.

okay honestly this is so funny even if the person writing it is going to die. it makes the letter seem so lively, yet there's this hint of foreboding lingering there. waiting for you to acknowledge it. but i quite like it!

was it just me or where there tangled vibes to this piece?? especially this part haha

I’m the face that decorated the sides of buildings and fronts of newspapers for over fifty days, accompanied by the words, “REPORT TO GUARDS IMMEDIATELY IF SEEN”. Have you seen those drawings? Atrocious. My eyes are not set that wide apart.

but this time, there's no happy ending (from what i can assume, this is a pretty open/ambiguous ending). still, i love it!

keep up the good work! i look forward to reading your other works! ^w^

I quite liked this. A letter from someone who is alone and destined to die is gifted to someone random. The witty remarks about the surroundings from the letter writer fits the tone I feel. However, I would like to know the specifics of how the magic caster was sentenced to execution, as well as how they knew the person who received the letter. Besides that, I felt as if the sentence structure varied in a way that kept things fluid, and the spelling/grammar seems alright to me. Overall, I enjoyed this little read.